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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25355221">sing me to sleep</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowtravelingtitans/pseuds/Shadowtravelingtitans'>Shadowtravelingtitans</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jearmin Week 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Hurt/Comfort, Jearmin Week 2020, M/M, Meeting the Parents, No Spoilers, only one bed trope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:48:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,984</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25355221</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowtravelingtitans/pseuds/Shadowtravelingtitans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hello, Mrs. Kirstein, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Armin smiled as warmly as possible. Mrs. Kirstein looked very much the part of a no-nonsense woman. So when she smiled back at him, he was caught off guard.</p>
<p>“No wonder you wax so much poetry about him in your letters, Jeanbo. He sure is a looker, then again you’ve always had a thing for pretty faces.” She says, laughing heartily when her son blushes and stampers out explanations.</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>Mrs. Kirstein plays matchmaker. Jean sings. Armin blushes a lot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armin Arlert/Jean Kirstein</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jearmin Week 2020 [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829650</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>sing me to sleep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Visiting Jean’s mother was not necessarily what Armin had planned for his days off. It was rare having a day off, especially in the Survey Corp, so two was almost unheard of. Jean, however, had managed to convince both the Commander and the Captain that he needed to visit his mother and that it would be a bit of a visit. Except it didn’t end there, no. He also convinced them to allow Armin to join him, stating that his mother needed some help and an extra pair of hands would be wonderful to have around.</p>
<p>That was how Armin found himself face to face with a short, brunette woman inspecting him up and down. Jean rolled his eyes at his mother’s theatrics, which Armin thought was hilarious.</p>
<p>“Mom, please. This is Armin, he’s a teammate of mine, from the Scouting Legion.” He explained, the exasperation palpable in his voice.</p>
<p>“Hello, Mrs. Kirstein, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Armin smiled as warmly as possible. Mrs. Kirstein looked very much the part of a no-nonsense woman. So when she smiled back at him, he was caught off guard.</p>
<p>“No wonder you wax so much poetry about him in your letters, Jeanbo. He sure is a looker, then again you’ve always had a thing for pretty faces.” She says, laughing heartily when her son blushes and stampers out explanations. Armin blushes as she continues to tease her son.</p>
<p>Eventually Jean calms down enough to ask his mother what she needs help with, and the boys find themselves moving packages of materials upstairs into the supposed guest room. When Jean questions it, she replies simply that she had nowhere else to put them and that the boys shouldn’t feel too bad about sharing a room.</p>
<p>“So, my mom forgot to mention that the guest room was going to be occupied by storage. So we’ll have to share a bed.” Jean reveals, sighing loudly.</p>
<p>“That’s okay. It’ll be like training days.” Armin replies optimistically. His mood dampens however when Jean huffs.</p>
<p>“Not quite.”</p>
<p>When they get to Jean’s room Armin immediately sees the problem. The bed they have to share is tiny compared to the ones they had during their training days. In this small bed, they’ll be in each other’s space. Right up against each other. Armin suddenly hates having a crush.</p>
<p>“Well, it’s not too bad.” He tries to lighten the mood. Hopefully Jean wouldn’t be too upset. He glances to the side and sees a drawing of a girl who looks strangely like Mikasa.</p>
<p>“You can always pretend I’m Mikasa.” Armin jokes lightly, though the thought that Jean may take his suggestion makes his heart heavy. Jean says nothing, instead he moves to open a trunk near his bed and pulls out another blanket, tossing it onto the bed.</p>
<p>“It gets cold this time of year.” Jean explains. Armin nods.</p>
<p>“This is a weird request, but could you sleep closer to the wall side? It makes me anxious if I’m not near the door.” Jean asks, not looking at Armin.</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure, it’s your room after all.” Jean nods. They get changed in silence and Armin slides into the bed, moving as close to the wall as possible. Jean gets in after him, blowing out the candle on the bedside. The full moon shines in through his small window and Armin thinks that Jean looks nice colored in moonlight. Jean is looking at him as well, and Armin feels heat creep up his cheeks.</p>
<p>“Sorry about my mom, earlier.” Jean whispers into the space between them. Their faces are inches apart and Armin can feel Jean’s apology on his nose.</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” He whispers back and silently thanks anyone that will listen that a blush is not visible by moonlight. He thinks back to the day's events, how nice, yet demanding Jean’s mother was. Suddenly he remembers.</p>
<p>“Hey, what did she mean about the letters?” Armin asks, his curiosity getting the better of him. Jean immediately averts his eyes, instead concentrating on a hole he’s found in his blanket.</p>
<p>“Oh, um, well I may have mentioned that you. Um, well I mentioned you in some of my letters. My mom was curious about the people I was training with and, well. You know how moms love gossip and all that.” He finishes, the nervousness evident in his voice. Armin presses his lips together.</p>
<p>“Well, not really.” Is all he offers his bedmate. Jean groans.</p>
<p>“Sorry Armin. I keep forgetting about your mom.” Armin shrugs, but to Jean it seems heavy.</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” He lies.</p>
<p>“Do you remember her at all?” Jean asks and Armin blinks a bit. He can’t remember the last time someone had genuinely asked him about his mother, or any of his parents. With Eren and Mikasa they rarely ever talked about the parents they had lost. Especially Armin, who’s parents choose to leave and die away from their son. Armin never witnessed their death, and while he was grateful, it always made him feel like his pain and grief weren’t enough compared to his friends.</p>
<p>“Sometimes.” He starts, quietly, slowly. “I was really young when they left to go explore the outside world. I don’t remember much, but sometimes I catch glimpses of memories. I see my mom whenever I wear my hair up. I hear my dad when I laugh out loud. Sometimes the glimpses I see are so vivid they leave me breathless.” Jean watches Armin blink, the moonlight highlights the shine in the corners of his eyes.</p>
<p>“I remember bits, certain fragments come to mind, sometimes a certain smell will catch me off guard. But it’s never.” He takes an uneasy pause, a shaky breath and Jean watches as the tears roll down his cherub cheeks.</p>
<p>“It’s never the same. I remember parts of her, but I don’t remember her. I don’t remember them, any of them. Not even grandpa now.” Armin croaks out, the sob tearing at the taller boy’s heartstrings.</p>
<p>Jean wraps his arms around the blond, bringing his head towards his chest. He holds Armin close as he sobs, expelling a grief he hadn’t known he’d hidden. It always hurts him when Armin cries, mostly because there is nothing he can do to stop it. Except maybe, he can offer the boy he likes some comfort. Being in his room reminds him of the times his mother laid down with him and hushed his fears, brushing away his tears and rubbing his back.</p>
<p>“<em>Baby mine, don’t you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes.</em>” Jean croons in Armin’s ear.</p>
<p>He held him closer, softly rubbing the blond’s back as he sobs into his chest. The song comes easily even though it’s been years since it’s been sung to him.</p>
<p><em>“Rest your head, close to my heart. Never to part. Baby of mine.</em>”</p>
<p>Jean hopes his singing isn’t terrible, but from the way Armin has melted into his embrace, his sobs becoming soft whimpers, he figures it’s alright.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Little one, when you play. Don’t you mind what they say.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Let those eyes sparkle and shine. Never a tear. Baby of mine.”</em>
</p>
<p>By the time Jean finishes his song he no longer hears the whimpers, just soft and slow breath. When he checks Armin is indeed fast asleep, his hand fisted into Jean’s sleep shirt. Jean doesn’t pretend to be annoyed, choosing to reach out and wipe the tears from the smaller man’s eyes and cheeks.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know how he let himself fall for the boy in his arms, but he doesn’t regret it. Not one bit. His mother’s teasing may have annoyed him, but he’ll forever be grateful that his mother took to Armin as he did. He’s glad his mother accepted him. The world was cruel and Jean knows that it plans on taking Armin away, but he won’t let them. At the end of the world he only wants Armin, his mother, and his friends. The rest of the world could go on, but these were the people he needed.</p>
<p>Morning comes abruptly for both boys who wish they could hold onto this moment forever. Jean is making sure the horses are ready for the trip back as Armin is fixing Mrs. Kirstein a meal when she walks in and sits at the kitchen table.</p>
<p>“You know my son mentions you in all of his letters.” She starts conversationally and Armin tenses. “That’s why I asked that you come. I wanted to know who was the boy who enraptured my son.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sure enraptured would be a great word, Mrs. Kirstein. Jean only sees me as a friend.” He tries to explain, because there was no way Jean would choose him over someone like Mikasa. Except he can’t deny how nice it felt to be held by him, that he wanted to hold Armin. Mrs. Kirstein continues on as if Armin hadn’t said a thing.</p>
<p>“When Marco died, I was worried for my Jeanbo. He always had a hard time making friends. A hard headed boy, that one. He has an extremely kind heart, too. A loss of a friend would hurt him more than he’s ever let on. I can only imagine he might have been even more hostile after that, in a foolish attempt at protecting his heart.” She sighs heavily, resting her elbows on the table top.</p>
<p>“I’ve lived for a good while, more than some of your fellow comrades will get to. I have learned a few things in those years and one thing is for sure. You can’t survive without people. If no one knows who you are, are you truly living at all? People give people purpose. The dead may give men a goal, but the living are the constant reassurance that we can achieve it.” She turns to look at Armin, her eyes just as commanding as her son’s.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Armin. For loving my son and caring for him. Thank you for saving him.” The sincerity in her voice makes Armin's chest heavy and he lowers his gaze from the weight.</p>
<p>“Oh, I don’t… I’m not really a great soldier… but I’ll do my best.” He stampers out, but Mrs. Kirstein laughs, softly.</p>
<p>“Oh you silly boy, you’ve already saved him. I see how you look at him, the same way he looks at you.” Armin blushes, but pushes forward.</p>
<p>“You’re okay with that?”</p>
<p>“My boy, love is one of the few comforts we have in this world. I’m glad my son will experience love with a person who will treat his heart with kindness.” She replies and for the second time Armin tears up. He wants to thank her for trusting him, but the sobs burn his throat.</p>
<p>“No crying now. I can’t understand what you’re saying with all those tears.” She teases lightly and for a second he catches a glimpse of blond hair. He wonders if bits of his mother exists in other people.</p>
<p>“Thank you, for trusting me with his heart.” He manages, though his voice is cracked and watery.</p>
<p>“Oh Armin, how could I not.” Mrs. Kirstein is up on her feet in front of him in seconds, apron rubbing away the tear tracks down his cheeks. The glimpse passes again, stronger, and Armin feels a comfort settle into his bones. A feeling of security and calm he hadn’t realized he’d lost.</p>
<p>Jean appears several minutes later and asks what’s wrong. Mrs. Kirstein winks at him, before telling her son that he’d better treat him right or else. Armin feels giddy, even when Jean playful protests the accusation.</p>
<p>As they say their goodbyes and begin the journey home, Jean tries to pry out what his mother had talked to him about. Armin laughs and says he can’t betray Mrs. Kirstein’s trust without proper motive. Jean grins and Armin thinks that maybe, maybe Jean was the one who saved him.</p>
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